A number of Premier League sides have been alerted to the potential availability of highly rated West Ham youngster Sonny Perkins.
Following days of rumours that Perkins was unsettled at The Hammers, more concrete reports have now emerged detailing the breakdown of contract negotiations. It’s understood that the England youth striker’s wage demands have been rebuffed by West Ham who are keen to maintain a strict pay structure.
Villa and Leeds United are believed to already be in talks, with Spurs also monitoring the situation.
SONNY PERKINS
Embed from Getty ImagesPerkins, still just 18, has risen to prominence having appeared in West Ham’s Europa League game against Rapid Vienna (November 2021). Not bad for a full senior debut. Already a part of the England Under-18 set-up, Perkins scored 12 goals for in West Ham’s Under-23 side.
The Hammers appear to have dug in on their position for now, meaning that David Moyes stands to lose an emerging talent from his development squad for the price of a compensation fee. It would be a big loss for an attacker regarded in some quarters as having the potential to be a ‘future star‘.
Perkins is a versatile forward, coverted from an attacking-midfielder, with the ability to play across the front or on either wing.
VILLA YOUTH
For Villa, these types of transfer rumour are of no surprise and are becoming the norm. The club has not only turned heads with its ability to act quickly and decisively with it’s transfer activity (Coutinho, Kamara, Carlos and Olsen), but increasingly has an eye upon purchasing quality youth too.
Indeed, Villa appear lazer focused upon improving the quality of talent being nurtured within the academy with a view to under-pinning smart deals for senior players. Swift moves for the likes of Josh Feeney and Thierry Katsukunya stand as good recent examples.
It also underlines the importance and expectation of players not only developing, but forcing their way into first team contention.
Louie Barry, highly thought of after signing from Barcelona and a now infamous goal against Liverpool, has struggled to make an impact whilst out on two loans. Meanwhile, Cameron Archer has come from absolutely nowhere, impressing when appearing for Villa’s first team and scoring a number of goals whilst at Preston towards the end of the last campaign.
If Villa are to secure Perkins, it would be another piece of fine opportunism. However, this would be against the back-drop of a similar lingering issue with Carney Chukwuemeka, as the midfielder stalls on a new deal owing to a lack of guaranteed first team opportunities.
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